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Justin Hughes

@justinhughes54.com
767 followers 366 following 1.7K posts

A shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a nerdy writer, editor, motorcycle rider, ham radio geek, former van lifer, and current all-around weirdo. Writer at Jalopnik and elsewhere. a.k.a. Smokey Da Van, Knerd Rider.

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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 02/10/2026
Because a "dark Ram 2500" is a very rare vehicle that almost nobody owns.
jalopnik.com
Flock Cameras Lead Police To Identify Wrong Car In Road Rage Case, Armed Officers Surround Wrong House At 4 A.M. - Jalopnik
A driver told Lexington, Kentucky police that a dark-colored Ram 2500 had been involved in a road-rage incident, so police turned to Flock to find it.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 01/10/2026
Facebook reminded me that today is the five-year anniversary of the beginning of my month-long Route 66 road trip. It started by picking up my brother from prison, like in the Blues Brothers. (I don't have a brother.)
My camper van parked outside Joliet Prison precisely where the Bluesmobile parked at the beginning of "The Blues Brothers"The Bluesmobile parked outside Joliet Prison at the beginning of the Blues Brothers
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 01/10/2026
As usual, it's the customers who end up paying the price when businesses make or break deals.
jalopnik.com
Sorry, Kroger Customers, You're Losing Your Gas Discount - Jalopnik
U.S. Bank announced in July that it would end the Kroger-branded credit card that brought discounts of up to 25 cents a gallon if it was used enough.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 01/10/2026
We're seeing more investigative journalism from a student newspaper than most mainstream media outlets these days. Journalism students, take note. This is how it's done.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 29/09/2026
Safety third?
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Tyrants view educated citizens as their greatest enemy. Slaveholders stopped the enslaved from learning to read. Nazis burned books. Dictators censor media. That’s why Trump is attacking education, science, museums, the media, and the arts – to prevent us from learning. It's Fascism 101.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 29/09/2026
Something on the lighter side. Literally, because the world needs more brightly colored cars instead of 50 shades of gray.
jalopnik.com
The Annual Sunshine Orange Subaru Crosstrek Parade Is Exactly Why The World Needs More Colorful Cars - Jalopnik
In an endless sea of gray, silver, black, and white cars, there's a bit of joy to be found in colors like Subaru's Sunshine Orange.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 29/09/2026
It’s ok for them to know where we are, but dog forbid we know where they are.
jalopnik.com
Flock Forces Website Showing Camera Locations To Shut Down, Because 'Transparency Matters' - Jalopnik
The website may be down, but the internet is forever, and the Internet Archive has preserved the original site.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 28/09/2026
Ejecto batteryo, cuz!
jalopnik.com
Dodge's Fire-Preventing Ejecting Battery Patent Is American Individualism At Its Finest - Jalopnik
In the patent, the car's 12-volt battery is connected to the drive system, and is used to move the car a short but safe distance away from the burning battery.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 28/09/2026
They did a great job on this. Fans (like me) will appreciate the subtle details.
jalopnik.com
Toyota Celebrated Its Le Mans-Winning Racer With A Wonderful Homage To Pixar's 'Cars' - Jalopnik
More than just an homage to the movie 'Cars', the promotional video references a culture established by 'The Fast and the Furious'.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 25/09/2026
I'm old enough to remember the crummy Hyundais of the 1980s and 90s. How far they've come since then.
jalopnik.com
Hyundai On Track To Outsell Ford For The First Time Ever This Quarter - Jalopnik
A healthy portfolio of hybrid offerings is one of the big factors contributing to Hyundai's surging sales.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 24/09/2026
For the Air Force, this was the one that got away.
jalopnik.com
Guys Who Fished Military Drone Out Of The Ocean Can't Wait To Update Their Tinder Profile Pictures - Jalopnik
The charter boat fishermen found the drone floating in the ocean and pulled it aboard, right alongside their various finned catches of the day.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 24/09/2026
Where the rules are made up and the laws don't matter.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 21/09/2026
"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor small planes nearly crashing into them stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," or something like that.
jalopnik.com
Plane Narrowly Avoids Hitting Postal Van During Emergency Landing - Jalopnik
Several semi-trucks had to pull over to avoid colliding with the plane, and the plane missed the postal van by what looks like inches, rather than feet.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 21/09/2026
What is "lifetime," anyway? Is it the life of the vehicle, as most people reasonably assume? Or is it the life of the warranty, soon after which seems to be the time components with "lifetime" fluid tend to fail? 🤔
jalopnik.com
BMW's 'Lifetime' Differential Fluid Doesn't Really Last For Life, Class Action Lawsuit Claims - Jalopnik
The lawsuit alleges, amongst other things, that BMW NA knew its front differentials would fail prematurely if the 'lifetime' fluid wasn't properly changed.
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Reposted by Justin Hughes
Jalopnik @jalopnik.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
People often ask: "What does 'Jalopnik' even mean?" Well, now we can tell you. Jalopnik, means integrity.
jalopnik.com
Jalopnik Suspends White House Pool Coverage In Solidarity With Politico, CNN And MS Now - Jalopnik
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victoria scott @victoriascott.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
highest diesel prices in American history… so far
static.klipy.com
Homer Simpson and Bart Simpson Moment
Alt: Homer Simpson telling Bart Simpson “worst day of your life… so far”
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 19/09/2026
Despite some reports, and his own comments, Elon does not live in an Airstream down by the river. Not that there’s anything wrong with living in a van down by the river, of course.
jalopnik.com
Elon Musk Doesn't 'Live' In An Airstream Trailer - Jalopnik
Even if he is calling into Zoom meetings from the trailer and sleeping there every once in a while, an Airstream isn't Musk's new home.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 16/09/2026
What scene makes you emotional no matter how many times you’ve seen it?
Spock’s death scene in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed." -Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 16/09/2026
I'd be more likely to pick up an EV dual-sport to explore the vast network of dirt county roads all over the Ozarks where I live. I wouldn't go too far or too fast, which is good for range, and I could recharge overnight at home instead of hoping I have enough gas to reach the nearest gas station.
jalopnik.com
Waiting For An Electric Motorcycle To Recharge Is Not A Bug, It's A Feature Says FortNine - Jalopnik
Taking an EV motorcycle with a sub-100-mile range on a road trip isn't a good idea if you're in a hurry, but it'll help you experience a bit of local culture.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 16/09/2026
I love any excuse to dive into Getty's old-timey images for posts, and AM radio was a good reason. It's also fun to draw on my radio knowledge as a ham operator. 73 de KJ1H ..
jalopnik.com
Baseball Fans Rejoice, AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act Passes House - Jalopnik
Automakers dispute the relevance of AM radio, but if the law passes the Senate, they'll have no choice but to keep it (or bring it back) in all their vehicles.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 14/09/2026
I'd never encourage violence or vandalism. Except in a video game that's all about committing casual crimes.
jalopnik.com
DeFlock Los Santos With This GTA V Mod - Jalopnik
The mod is an interesting statement about both how powerful these cameras are at fighting crime, and the consequences of the system's mistakes.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 14/09/2026
While requiring a human monitor behind the wheel of all Waymos, all the time, would solve some of the problems, it also defeats the purpose of an autonomous taxi. That's exactly the point, particularly when it comes to the jobs of taxi and rideshare drivers Waymo would replace.
jalopnik.com
Minneapolis Proposes Requiring A Human Behind The Wheel In Waymos - Jalopnik
Safety is a big part of the proposal that could change Waymo's future in the city, but bigger still is the desire to protect the jobs of human drivers.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 14/09/2026
Flock says it's perfectly fine for them to watch us in public places, but they don't like it when we do exactly the same thing to them.
jalopnik.com
Reporter Gets Visit From Cops For Filming Flock Camera Installer At Work - Jalopnik
The irony of being opposed to being filmed while maintaining and upgrading a system of mass surveillance was apparently lost on the Flock worker.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 11/09/2026
This brings cyberstalking to a new, terrifying, and dangerous level.
jalopnik.com
'I Am In Your Car. I Am In Your Maps,' Abuser Terrorizes Ex Using 'Parental Controls' And Tesla's App - Jalopnik
Common tracking and remote-access vehicle systems designed to improve safety can be easily misused, sometimes in pretty scary and dangerous ways.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 11/09/2026
There are no winners in a trade war. Only losers. And now we lose these popular trikes. My dad rides a Spyder.
jalopnik.com
Our Silly Trade War With Canada Bans Can-Am Spyder And Canyon - Jalopnik
The escalating trade war with Canada has taken new victims, like dairy products, alcohol, and certain internal-combustion motorcycles and three-wheelers.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 09/09/2026
Some things never change.
whdh.com
Commuter rail train catches fire at Ruggles; line terminated - Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News
BOSTON (WHDH) - An MBTA Commuter Rail train was seen smoking Wednesday afternoon and has since been terminated at Ruggles. Officials said the first car/engine<a class="excerpt-read-more" href="https:/...
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 09/09/2026
If the proof of insurance required by law isn't good enough proof of insurance for law enforcement, then what is?
jalopnik.com
Cops Ticket Insured Driver For Having No Insurance Because Flock Said So - Jalopnik
Thanks to Flock cameras, a Georgia student now has to fight an insurance citation, despite presenting valid insurance to officers when she was pulled over.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 08/09/2026
And I was mad that my new (non-LG) TV will start playing ads if you leave it idle for too long. Last night it was the same Subway ad over and over, and we hadn't been talking about food, but still.
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victoria scott @victoriascott.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
you see that dark blue line? yeah that one's me
Pay growth based on income group showing that lower income wages dropped like a brick in 2024 and have stagnated as the wealthy overtake in growth
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 02/09/2026
Sometimes you really need to catch a bus, but not this way. Amazingly, he wasn't seriously hurt because he crashed into an open door, landed on a padded seat, and literally walked away.
jalopnik.com
Motorcyclist Switches To Public Transit Halfway Through His Ride - Jalopnik
This guy crashed in the right place at the right time.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 31/08/2026
I've bought and sold many car and motorcycle parts on eBay over the years. Soon, you'll have to go somewhere else to find airbags, since too many counterfeit ones have found their way into listings, and eBay doesn't want to take that risk anymore.
jalopnik.com
eBay Finally Bans Airbag Sales Due To Counterfeit Concerns - Jalopnik
Effective September 24, 2026, eBay will no longer permit sales of airbags, airbag inflators, or steering wheel airbag covers.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 31/08/2026
Imagine if Elon Musk owned every car's internet connection. If he has his way, you won't have to imagine it.
jalopnik.com
Elon Musk Saying 'All Cars' Will Have Starlink As The 'Only Way' To Connect Them Sounds More Like Threat Than Promise - Jalopnik
Starlink has already been spotted on the roof of a Cybercab, but if the owner of both companies has his way, it'll be a much more ubiquitous technology.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 27/08/2026
The study is imperfect, and I point out how. But the overall point is valid. People crash while using phones, including in legal ways, more than police accident reports would indicate.
jalopnik.com
IIHS Says Drivers Use Phones Before Crashing More Than Police Report - Jalopnik
Our phone addiction is here to stay it seems, and it's, quite predictably, leading to crashes.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 26/08/2026
I've had four of these - a coupe, two sedans, and a wagon, all with manual transmissions. My 1995 SC2 was the first car I ever drove on a track after my BMW 320i broke. That year's interior facelift fixed all the interior quirks you see here.
youtube.com
The Original Saturn SL Was a New World of American Car
YouTube video by Doug DeMuro
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 26/08/2026
The thrill of driving comes from the convergence of visceral, intellectual, and emotional stimulation, according to Castrol's study. All three are required to give you that feeling, and it's easy to get in even a low-power sports car, a motorcycle, or even a go-kart. Three things I happen to love.
jalopnik.com
Science Explains Why Driving Can Feel So Thrilling - Jalopnik
The thrill of driving can be traced back to three specific kinds of stimulation. And there's a thin line between a thrilling drive and a scary one.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 26/08/2026
It's sad that stories like this have become routine occurrences rather than the egregious mistakes that they are. Garbage in, garbage out, and even the cops are frustrated.
wmbfnews.com
Police stop car after Flock alert with outdated information
New video shows police expressing frustration after an outdated Flock alert led to a stop of people not connected to a homicide investigation. (WDJT, BROOKFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT, MILWAUKEE POLICE DEP...
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 26/08/2026
It's never good when the fix may not actually be a fix.
jalopnik.com
Owners Report Their GM 6.2L V8s Are Still Failing Even After Recall Repairs - Jalopnik
Even after replacing or repairing many of the recalled 6.2-liter truck engines, General Motors and NHTSA are still getting reports of engine failure.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 25/08/2026
If we're going to rename things, how about this?
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 24/08/2026
It was just me and my cat for nearly my entire van life journey. But I met a number of families out there, each with different ways of making it work.
jalopnik.com
How To Determine What Size Camper You Need For Your Family - Jalopnik
A camper's footprint can help determine its usable interior space, but so can features like bunk beds and pop-outs, which can make things much more spacious.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 24/08/2026
There's no putting the privately owned surveillance-state genie back in the bottle now. There are still no legal guardrails on ALPR use and misuse. These measures aren't enough. But they're a start, and they're something, which is more than we had before.
jalopnik.com
Flock Announces Band-Aids Meant To Remedy Totally Predictable And Widespread Abuse Of Surveillance Equipment - Jalopnik
After a seemingly endless flow of stories about system abuse, Flock says it's taking steps to improve its privacy, accountability, security, and transparency.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 21/08/2026
Yet another case of a police officer abusing his power, and allegedly his now ex-girlfriend. The good news is that the Stow Police Department acted swiftly and decisively in response to her accusations and uncovered even more wrongdoing during its investigation, for which he faces criminal charges.
jalopnik.com
Woman Changed Her Identity To Escape Abusive Cop Ex-Boyfriend, He Still Found Her Using Flock Cameras - Jalopnik
This is exactly how police departments should treat improper use of its systems.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 21/08/2026
An autocross buddy of mine in Maine had a black Pontiac Solstice that looked just like this. Then he supercharged it. I got to ride in it a few times. It handled the extra power well, so I'm not at all surprised it handles a V8 under the hood with no issues.
jalopnik.com
Tesla Designer's V8-Powered Pontiac Solstice Charms Jay Leno - Jalopnik
It has more than enough power to break the back tires loose, yet is calm and collected when he eases off the throttle.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 21/08/2026
“Given the errors AI tools generate, the OLC spends “more time trying to fix AI-drafted legislation than it would take for them to draft it from scratch,” the person said.” I could’ve told you this years ago. Oh, wait, I did.
politico.com
AI slop is swamping a House office that drafts US laws
The Office of Legislative Counsel is facing a barrage of new AI-generated bills, many of which are riddled with errors.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 18/08/2026
Where I went to school, 29% is known as a failing grade.
jalopnik.com
Flock Cameras In This California Town Are Only Getting License Plates Right 29% Of The Time - Jalopnik
While Flock claims that its license plate-reading cameras have an accuracy rate in the high 90s, this town's experience shows a far different set of numbers.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 17/08/2026
This is amazing! 😆
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 17/08/2026
It's a story as old as time itself, or at least the automobile.
jalopnik.com
Shop Charges Woman Almost $4,000 For Transmission Repairs, Then The Mechanic Tells Her The Work Was Never Done - Jalopnik
Strapped for cash, the owner of the Ford Edge took out a loan to get the repairs done, but the mechanic says he never touched the transmission at all.
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Justin Hughes @justinhughes54.com · 13/08/2026
Polestar says there was nothing it could do about its vehicles being banned in the U.S. for 2027. One dealer claims that’s exactly what Polestar wanted, and arranged it that way to get out of its obligations.
jalopnik.com
Polestar Wanted To Leave The U.S. Anyway Before Regulatory Ban, Dealer Lawsuit Claims - Jalopnik
Polestar will no longer be selling vehicles in the U.S. thanks to a ban on Chinese-owned companies, but one dealer claims their exit was made on purpose.
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